The Phantom
by The Labyrinths Scribe
Summary: Full Summary Inside M/A. Max has realizations she doesnt want to face- so she runs, seeking peace in a place she once called home. Except there is no peace. Manticore leaves a gift and this time, she may not have the will to fight back. Read fullsum insid
1. Requiem Mass

A/n- Im in the middle of writing the next part of Bag 'Em for Always Together and I'm waiting for the stupid episode to buffer- I like having word for word quotes- so I'm probably just going to write this while I wait for the buffering

A/n- Im in the middle of writing the next part of Bag 'Em for Always Together and I'm waiting for the stupid episode to buffer- I like having word for word quotes- so I'm probably just going to write this while I wait for the buffering.

Please note that this story will not be long and that it will not be updated as much as I would like to- This story is meant to let me take out my aggression from the stupid, good for nothing, writers block I've been smacked in the face with in the hopes that I can fight it and update AMMD and ARLFT.

**Summary : Max has realizations come crashing down on her head so she does what comes naturally to her- she runs away. She flees to her old home, seeking peace, unaware of the turmoil and anguish she's left behind. But peace, unfortunately, isn't what she finds when she arrives home. Manticore has come back, yet again, to bite her in the ass. Except this time, she may not have the will to fight back. M/A.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel.**

**Crazy Author Insert: M/A shippers unite!!**

**Chapter 1: Requiem Mass**

It had been months since Freak Nation and things were finally starting to settle down. Paperwork stacks seemed to diminish right before Max's eyes, Mole stopped complaining since he got his cubies, and Alec finally had a steady girlfriend. Logan had settled down with Asha- they were married and expecting their first child. Max couldn't have been happier for them- for everyone. Everyone was happy. Except her. She was feeling empty and more alone than anyone could possibly imagine.

She was surrounded by friends- the toxic waste had been cleared when Mole was bored and lit a bunch of ammonia bottles on fire, it had scared the living shit out of her- she thought they were being bombed- but it had actually killed the toxins and shortly after Cindy, Sketchy, Herbal (who had recently returned seeing as is wife left him for Winston), and Kendra all moved into T.C.

Everyone had a special someone except Max. She was all alone. She finished her paperwork and headed back to her empty apartment. After fixing some coffee, she headed to the rooftop and stared out into the night sky. She didn't know how long she'd been up there, not thinking, when she felt Alec sit beside her. She didn't have to look to know who it was- she just knew.

Alec sat beside her before he spoke. "Jessi's pregnant." Max barely contained her self from choking. As happy for him as she was, her heart beat painfully with the knowledge that she'd already lost him to another girl and now she was losing him to a tadpole. How pathetic was that? She was jealous of a god dam tadpole. Of course, she didn't say any of this- it would have pushed her into a meltdown, which was something she couldn't afford right now.

So, instead of coming clean as she should have, she faked a cheerful tone and said "You're going to name it after me right?" He stopped and threw his head back with laughter, his hazel eyes bright and playful. "I told her she was being ridiculous."

Max turned her head, eyebrow cocked.

Alec stopped laughing and shrugged his shoulders. "Jessi didn't want me to tell you; she thought that you would be upset. I have no idea why she thinks you'd be upset- maybe it's the mood swings kicking in early."

Max let out a weak bark of laughter. Jessi knew that Max cared for Alec, and she knew that Max had been upset when she and Alec got serious, but she and Max also shared an unspoken bond- one that said "I can't live without him- he's the stupid ass who keeps me steady and from breaking down- but he deserves a real shot at a real family, so I'm going to let you have him without a fight if you swear to take care of him." And, of course, Jessi had replied "I'll take good care of him, I'll give him a family and a life, I'll give him everything he could ever want."

All of this secret pact was made, packaged, and put into motion without Max and Jessi even saying a word. Alec, meanwhile, was blissfully unaware of Max's heart ache and the pact. Hell, Max was the one who encouraged him to go out with her, to have her move in with him, she picked out the flowers for his first date with Jessi, she even straightened his tie- for what possible reason could he have to question what was going on around him?

Alec had gone as quickly as he had come and Max was left alone once more. Breathing tightly, to keep herself from crying, she reached under her shirt and pulled out the most breath taking necklace your eyes had ever beheld. The Heart of the Ocean. It was the last item she had stolen when she was in L.A. After she escaped Manticore, the first time, she had gone to L.A. and joined a rag-tag gang of thieves. It felt more like home than anyone could have possibly imagined. She'd lived there for about 9 years, give or take a few months, honing her skills as she trained under a master thief, also the leader of their rag-tag gang, Moody.

He had been both a father figure and mentor for her. She was his protégé, his shining star, and how he loved to hear her play. The problem he'd always had was never getting in to the site, getting out, or even getting to the item. No, it was coming up with a disguise believable enough to case the place. And that's where Max came in. When he had found out about her amazing ability to learn difficult tasks quickly and without questions, he had thought she might be useful as a student to take over for him when he died. Of course, the more she learned, the more he began to realize that she was his cover, his distraction.

So, beginning in November of 2012, he taught her the basics of playing the violin. By mid December, not a full month later, she had surpassed all violin soloists of that time. She was booked from private party to private party, she would play passionately and beautifully, and he would feign drunk and need to use the bathroom and wind up getting "lost". Right.

But, as time flew by, she came to love it. She loved the way every string sounded a different note, how she could bring people to tears with a single, passionately played note. She adored her violin more than anything else- even more than the beautiful gowns and jewelry he dressed her in to attract customers, and ,with time, even more than the very siblings she so longed to seek out. They had, at last, pulled off their greatest heist; Stealing the Heart of the Ocean from right out under a private collectors nose.

She had told him to sell it, to buy better clothes and food for the rest of the gang she had come to love like family, but he refused and chose, instead, to place it around her neck. He told her to keep it close to her heart, where she aught keep her family, so that she might remember them when she left. She hadn't understood at the time but not 3 hours later, she saw him on security cameras from Seattle where a break in had occurred. Her brother, Seth. He was in Seattle. And so, packing her clothes and violin, she fled in the dark of the night leaving him only a note stating that she would return someday.

Of course, upon arriving in Seattle, she had seen him, Seth, jump off the top of the Space Needle to evade Lydecker and his men. She had cried that night and played her violin with such pain and sorrow that it seemed the very animals and sky felt her pain. Two days later, now ready to return to her home, she turned on the news to find that her family, Moody down to the smallest child, was dead.

Max, now crying bitterly, returned to her apartment still clutching the Heart. She threw things from her closet onto the floor until she could see the back, where she promptly removed her violin. She opened the case with urgency and plucked a string gingerly. It was badly out of tune but Max reveled in the sound- her salvation. She quickly tuned it and returned to the top of the apartments where she would play- where all the residents of terminal city could hear her play.

And so she played. Every ounce of loneliness, pain, and suffering she had undergone came through the strings- loud and agonizing. People had gathered to hear her play, crying as they felt her pain. Her playing, her pain, intensified when she saw a half-dressed Alec and Jessi in the front of the crowd, watching her raptly. And, not long after they arrived, they began to weep too.

Max cried as she played, thinking to the crowd 'This is for you, all of you. This is our requiem mass. This, is my goodbye. Goodbye, terminal city, Seattle, Cindy, Sketchy, Mole, Joshua, Alec, Jessi, Logan, Asha, and little tadpole…Goodbye.' With one resounding note Max let everything go- all of her emotions for everyone in the city. She was a blank slate once more- just as Manticore had trained her to do. She fled to her apartment where she packed her bags, with all the cash she possessed, and snuck out the window, knowing that Alec was likely to be coming up the steps to her door.

She ran down the alley as fast as she could. "Max!!" She turned briefly to see Alec's tear stained face leaning out of her window, looking at her with heavy, anguished eyes, like she was dead and not gone. She smiled sadly before taking off towards a secret exit, leaving her bike, her jacket, her friends, and everything that had come to make her who she was. She was going home. Home, to L.A., where she knew she could find peace.

Alec couldn't believe his eyes or ears when he heard Max playing on the rooftop, couldn't stop himself from crying as she cried, and nor could he stop himself from racing after her, leaving his pregnant fiancé alone, to halt her tears. But when he got there- she was gone. Her clothes were strewn about the room, several articles missing. She had packed hastily, seeming to know that he would follow her, and fled through the window. He rushed to the window to see her racing through the alley he called out to her "Max!" She turned briefly giving him a view of her own tear stained face, and continued running.

He screamed when she left, his chest heavy and empty. He couldn't understand it. Yes, she had been his best friend, and yes he had cared for her but why did it hurt so much? Why did he feel as though the world got much bigger without her to fill the void? He didn't even like her that way! He loved Jessi and Max had never cared for him that way. But even as he thought this, memories came to him.

_Alec smiled at the new girl in T.C. his attention captured. Max had stood next to him that day, watching with amusement. "Her name's Jessi. She just came in from San Franciso. She prefers lilies to roses." He had frowned and turned to ask her about it but she was gone._

_A month later, he and Jessi were engaged. Max had congratulated them heartily, though Alec had known that she was upset about something and had meant to ask her about it but he'd forgotten in all the excitement._

_Jessi and Max never spoke a word to each other- not so much as a hello. He hadn't thought much of it at the time but on one of their dates, Alec had left to pull on his tie and left Max and Jessi alone. He listened in, hoping that they would converse, but they didn't. When he returned, Max had tears in the corner of her eyes and was staring at Jessi fiercely while Jessi nodded, her beautiful blue eyes full of reassurance. Alec had frowned and wondered if he had missed something when Max turned, straightened his tie, and said "Be happy." Not 'have a good time' or 'behave' or 'don't say anything stupid'. It was 'be happy'. And, after all this time, Alec just realized what it meant._

'Oh my god. What have I done?' Alec was in shock. He had, once upon a time, had some very…interesting dreams involving himself and Max but he had always chalked it up to too much alcohol. She had been in love with him and he hadn't realized it. And now, he had a girl pregnant that he didn't even really love, Max was officially gone, and the worst part of it all? Alec just realized that he loved her too.


	2. Memories and Heart Ache

* * *

A/n- There is a site that has every episode (with the exception of Designate this) loaded and all you have to do is hit the pretty play button, pause and wait for 10 minutes, and watch it. Well my computer decided that it didn't want to work today so I was unable, yet again, to watch Bag 'Em- and I'm sure you all know of my ridiculous necessity with word-for-word quotes so, yeah.

Anyway, I decided to put up another chapter of this seeing as I'd already started something yesterday (Rolls eyes). By the way, does anybody know how I can fix that stupid problem where all of my top paragraphs are copied and doubled? I'm not typing the stupid thing twice but it keeps showing up that way.

I updated quickly so i did good, right?

THANK YOU FAITHFUL REVIEWERS:

Bella1992, Lily Witchcraft, vintage.soulf494, and 452max !!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel and probably shouldn't- I'd keep Alec all to myself :P lol.**

**Crazy Author Insert: ((In terms of Max's view during MY season 2)) "Men are like parking spots; The good ones are taken and free ones are handicapped."**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Memories and Heart Ache**

Max had fled Terminal City and Seattle before dawn, hitching a ride with trucker to L.A. She'd slept most of the way, the rest staring out the window or picking up aimless conversation with the kindly man that let her ride. She was no longer crying, no longer distraught, she had moved on and forgotten the emotions she had once felt, as Manticore had taught her, and looked forward to the peaceful future she expected from L.A.

He stopped and let her off right in front of the old theater that she lived with the gang in. It was run down, condemned, but it was there and it was home. Noticing the foreclosure sign on the door she immediately called in the number.

"Hello, this is Heather of Bank of America, how may I help you?"

Max took a deep breath and used the 3 seconds to compose her voice into a pleasing tone and perfected telephone manners. "Yes, I'm calling in about the Rialto Theater on 2nd Ave and Henncourt Drive?"

She heard the clicking of keys as the woman looked it up. "Ah, yes. It's been foreclosed for several years due to an incident that occurred there- a gang bust killed a bunch of kids and business went down the drain. It will sell for 80,000 with a-"

Max cut her off, not needing any other information. "I'll take it."

The woman made a surprised sound "But, m'am, the mortgage is awfully high and-"

Max smiled. "I'm going to pay for the whole thing now in cash. Please arrange it."

The woman stuttered in surprise. "Ye-yes m'am. Can I have a call back number?"

Max gave her the number and hung up the phone with a click. She returned Max's call, not 10 minutes later, with the real estate agent on three-way calling. Max gave them her bank account number and informed the Realtor that she would be by the office later to sign the papers.

Putting her phone in her pocket, she tore of the "For Sale" sign on the doors and entered them with desperation, wanting Alec's voice to stop resounding in her head. As she strode in through the doors a flood of memories came back to her all at once.

_Max, 15 years old, was sitting on the stage playing her violin while the other kids played on their stolen game-boys and other useless things._ _Her violin made her feel special- not special like she could snap your neck like a twig- but special in a nice, almost human, way. She glanced up when the boys had begun chasing the girls with water guns and laughed at their childish antics, pleased that she was a part of something normal._

_She quickly picked her violin and brought in the strong chorus of "The Can-Can" and laughed joyously as the girls got up on stage and began doing the dance. She stopped abruptly when Moody came in and yelled "Hide!" Everyone knew what that meant. People were coming. People who were looking for them. They all scattered and Max fled into the rafters._

"_I don't know where they are, I swear!" She heard Moody say, feigning fear._

"_You can keep your rag-tag band of petty thieves, I'm just looking to bring my girl home where she belongs. My girl…She's very special, gifted, and I just want her home safe and sound." Max choked and felt her heart stop. She knew that voice. Lydecker. Lydecker had found her._

"_I don't have her!" Moody snarled painfully as Lydecker decked him and threw him to the ground._

"_I find that interesting. You say you don't have her, or know what I'm talking about, and yet you haven't asked me what she looks like so you could check, just to make sure."_

_Moody tried to stand but was kicked into the wall._

_Lydecker took a picture out of his billfold and showed it to Moody. Max peered down on the scene, using her eyes to zoom in on the photo. Bastard. It was a picture of her all right, of when she was ten years old. Lydecker had been photo-shopped into the picture with his arm around her, her hair was longer in the photo, about as long as it was now._

_Moody, rasping in pain, shook his head "For the last time, I haven't seen her!"_

_Lydecker studied him for a moment, looking for any sign that he was lying, Max knew, before turning around and throwing a 50 dollar bill on the floor. "Sorry to trouble you. Get your kids a pizza."_

_He hadn't been gone but a moment before Max jumped down and helped him to his feet. He looked at her with a sad smile "I won't let them get you Maxie, I promise."_

_She cried that night and played Valse Triste for him. He'd asked her to take singing lessons before and she'd refused, insisting that she only wished to play the violin, but now…Now she would gladly do whatever he asked. He was her father, her mentor, her savior- she owed him everything. So, she learned. She sang until her voice was hoarse, until she could hit every note perfectly and without hesitation, until her voice was that of an angel._

Max sobbed as she leaned against the doors, her memories bitterly sweet. How her heart ached for him; for all of them.

* * *

Alec breathed deeply as the tears began to overflow. 'Damn it Max! Why didn't you ever say anything?' He hadn't so much as thought the words before the answer came to him. 'You didn't say anything because you thought I didn't feel the same way.'

'_Be happy.'_

He punched a whole in the wall, breathing heavily. 'Be happy? How can I be happy when you're not here?' He hadn't even realize how much he'd missed her, bringing to mind one of Alec's favorite quotes "It's true that you don't know what you've got till it's gone, but it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives." Alec found both parts of this to be true in reversed order. He hadn't realized what he'd been missing until Max came into his life, and by the same token hadn't realized what he'd had until she left.

Numbly, Alec pulled a cold beer out of Max's fridge and paused before taking a sip to realize it was his preferred beer. Max didn't like the same kind of beer, so why was it in her fridge? On the bottle, there was a note that read 'For the stupid ass the next time he comes 'round." His face twisted. She even knew his goddamn favorite beer. He didn't think Jessi even knew that. With an angry roar, he threw the bottle against the wall.

He was pacing. 'I have to get her back. I have to.' He stopped briefly, when he saw her jacket sitting innocently on the counter. He picked it up and unwillingly held it to him. It still smelled like her. He slunk down the back of the door, hugging her jacket with tears in his eyes. 'Why did you let me do it Max? Why didn't you tell me how you felt?'

Eventually, several hours later, his tears stopped. 'I'm not going to let you go, Max. You belong to me.' Hysteria had transformed into a cold fury.

He opened the door and slammed it, striding down the hall with purpose. His cell phone rang as he exited down the stairs. "Go for Alec."

The voice speaking in warbled tones was Lacy, the medical technician. "Alec…It's Jessi. She's miscarried and…I don't think she's going to make it." Alec blurred from the apartment, running to the med-bay. 'I'm sorry, Max. You're just going to have to wait for me.'

* * *

Meanwhile, Max had signed the necessary papers and began cleaning the place out. She tore the cover off the piano where she and Moody had spent countless hours learning music- Violin, chorus, and piano. Where she had given her first concert. She sat down and began to play, singing as she went.

_There's a song that's inside of my soul_

_It's the one that I've tried to write over and over again_

_I'm awake in the infinite cold_

_And you sing to me over and over_

_And over again_

Max sang, losing her self in the music.

_So I lay my head back down_

_And I lift my arms and pray_

_To be only yours, I pray_

_To be only yours, I pray_

_And I know now that you're my only hope_

Max wished for things that could never be; Moody alive, her siblings alive and safe, and for Alec to be hers.

_Sing to me the song of the stars.  
Of your galaxy dancing and laughing and laughing again.  
When it feels like my dreams are so far  
Sing to me of the plans that you have for me over again_

Alec sat at Jessi's bedside as she sobbed into his shoulder, as their dead child, no bigger than a tadpole, was carried away.

_So I lay my head back down.  
And I lift my hands and pray  
To be only yours, I pray, to be only yours  
I know now, you're my only hope._

And, despite the horror he was going through and the sadness he felt, he also felt freedom and wind. Wind that was blowing him towards Max, wind that was calling out to him, wind that was pushing him away from Jessi.

_I give you my destiny.  
I'm giving you all of me.  
I want your symphony, singing in all that I am  
At the top of my lungs, I'm giving it back._

Max sang this for them; for the sibs she had lost in the struggle, for the father that died on her behalf, and for Alec- the love she had never gotten to explore.

_So I lay my head back down.  
And I lift my hands and pray  
To be only yours, I pray, to be only yours  
I pray, to be only yours  
I know now you're my only hope._

Max finished the song slowly, humming the melody. She let the last note echo and smiled for the first time in a long while.

"Brava, brava, bravissima!" She spun and scanned the room, seeing no one. Frowning, she shrugged it off to echoes of the past and being alone too long. Scanning the room, she habitually reached for her seat to grab her jacket and remembered that she'd left it behind. It wasn't part of her life anymore. New Max didn't 'do' grunge anymore. This Max was elite, graceful, elegant, poised- Everything her father wanted her to be.

The first step to moving on: New clothes. So, with over 20,000 dollars in cash in her purse, she made her way down to 5th Ave, where she could find some concert clothes and more suitable work clothing. She was never going to steal again. She was never going to wear leather again. She was never going to drive a motorcycle. And, most importantly to her new life, she was never going to fall in love again. Never.

...Do I get a review? Pretty please? With a chocolate covered cherry on top?


	3. Ben

A/n- Well this chapter should be interesting- we get out first good look at the "Phantom" of this tale which, as I'm sure most of you might have guessed or been told, was very loosely based on "Phantom of the Opera". The song from the previous chapter (I forgot to say) Is "Only Hope" by Mandy Moore but the one by Switchfoot is a really nice version too.

Also: I now have a myspace! The link is on my author's page so feel free to go to it and add me- I'd be happy to chat!

Thanks for everyone who reviewed last chapter:

Bella1992, darkaznangel452, Chica De Los Ojos Café, CMT1992, mash-sg1angel, and Lily Witchcraft !!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel; If I did the show would still be on and have very high ratings.**

**Crazy Author Insert:** "**Duck tape is like the force; It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the world together."**

**Chapter 3: Ben**

Max had gone shopping at all of the up-end stores and came home with several full bags and a generous portion of 20,000 dollars missing. She no long wore her hair long and loose but up in tightly held bun. As she entered her home she looked at the large stage and hundreds of seats with a smile before her memories came over her once more.

_She was sitting in one of those same chairs, in the very back, while everyone at the pizza Moody had brought home. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice a boy her age, Benji, sit next to her and offer her a piece of pizza. She looked at him questioningly._

"_How are you supposed to play for the "Mood" if you faint from hunger?" _

_Max had laughed and took the piece obligingly, taking a small bite to appease him. He didn't leave, though she expected him to. He stayed and ate with her in a companionable silence. She watched him without letting him on to it. He seemed so familiar- like she had known him her entire life. He was friendly with everyone and curious about everything. When Max ate alone, shunned by some of the other children, he ate with her and talked his head off._

_She had found him annoying, at first, but gradually came to enjoy his company as time wore on. When times got hard, worse than usual, the kids had to share bunks in order to keep warm. Max and Benji always shared- she had come to love him as a brother, and treated him like one- she even ignored his weird obsession with wearing masks._

_He'd watched just one too many episodes of Zorro and always wore a slip of cloth over his eyes so you could never really know what he looked like- Max didn't mind, she'd gotten used to it eventually. Wasn't she too trying to disguise her features and instincts to survive?_

_When she got older, about 16, winter really hit hard. Moody got sick with pneumonia and almost didn't make it. He recovered but the fear of what would happen if he didn't struck Max and, for the first time in many years, she cried. In her moment of weakness, she failed to hear Benji enter and only realized he was there when he wrapped his arms around her and held her._

_And, as her tears began to dry, she suddenly realized that this wasn't Benji anymore. This was Benjamin- all grown up. And, just as they had when they were younger, they shared a bunk. When they woke, they were snickered and sneered at and Max was confused- when had everything changed? When had her family becoming such a monstrosity- what did they have against her?_

_Of course, as Max came to find out, the implications of two members of the opposite sex sleeping in the same bed were large and in everyone's mind. It hadn't been 3 hours after she'd woken when Moody had taken her aside and given her the Talk- the one every kid dreads having with their parents._

_Benji was her best friend. And Max knew that, despite all of the rumors, he considered her his best friend too- nothing more._

_Things were perfect until that night- the night she left to find Seth. Her bags were packed _

_She'd gone into her room to pick up her duffle bag and found him there, sitting on it. She stopped in front of him, her eyes downcast. _

_He looked up at her, his green eyes staring at her intensely. "Going some where, Max?"_

_Max swallowed. "I was going to tell you I was leaving-"_

_He stood abruptly, towering over Max's small frame. "Oh, you were? When, you were already gone and told the Mood Man to tell me?"_

_Max flinched and cowered slightly- she hadn't realized how tall he'd become and how intimidating he could be. "I just didn't want you to over-react. I'm going to come back, I promise!"_

_He snorted. "When, exactly? Please, Max, don't play this bullshit game- not with me! You know damn good and well that when you find your brother you are never going to come back- never!" _

_Max opened her mouth to protest when the truth of his words hit her. She probably wouldn't come back once she found Seth- she'd stay with him and find the others. She swallowed hard and tried to explain. She couldn't speak._

_He turned his back to her. "Just go."_

_She grabbed her bag and walked towards the door, stopping very briefly. "Benji, what you say is true- it's likely that it will be awhile before I come back but I swear to you, I will come back. Come hell or high water, I will return." _

_His back remained turned and she had all but given up hope when she saw him reach around and slowly untie his mask- something she'd never seen him do. _

_He remained the way he was, his back turned, so she couldn't see his face. "If what you say is true, then I will wait for you Max. I will wait."_

_Max suddenly understood what it meant to really, truly, love someone. She turned her back and walked slowly towards the door when his arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her into his lap, sitting down in the chair. She turned her head to face him, to see his emotions but he stopped her. "Not yet, Maxie. You don't get to see my face yet- let that be your surprise for when you come home."_

_She nodded against his chest and murmured, suddenly crying, through tears "Whatever you say, Benji."_

_He stroked her hair as he held her to him and said "I'm not Benji anymore, Max. Benji was a child who knew nothing about love or loss. I have experienced those things. Call me Ben."_

_She smiled and chuckled slightly. "You still don't believe me, do you?"_

_He said nothing so Max quickly undid her hair and pulled out the barrette that held her hair in its proper place. "Moody gave me this hair pin- its sterling silver with a 2 Carat Diamond- it was expensive and it meant a lot to me because Moody let the cat out of the bag that it was you who picked it out. I want you to keep it for now- give it back to me when I return." She placed the pin in his hand and curled his fingers around it._

"_Don't stay away too long- I may wind up hawking it for a box of Kleenex." He said as he sniffled, struggling not to cry. She laughed and thought to herself 'I will come back someday- I will.' _

_She sat there, her head on his shoulder, wanting so badly not to run after Seth. Eventually, he fell asleep. Max crept from his arms and did not look at his face, as he had wanted, because she fully intended keeping her promise. She walked out of the room hurriedly, knowing that if she didn't leave before he woke and spoke to her, she probably wouldn't leave at all. "Goodbye, Ben."_

Max snapped out of her reverie and went back to finish putting her clothes away. She dressed herself in her new outfit; A pair of loose black slacks with a white dress blouse. She completed her look by pulling her hair into a loose coif. She reached onto the top of her dresser for a bobby pin but was unable to find one. Frowning she turned her head to see a small black box sitting where her bobby pin should have been.

Tentatively, she opened it. She choked. In it contained her silver pin- 2 karat diamond and all. Tears began to form in the corners of her eyes.

"Hello, Max."

* * *

Alec sat there, devoid of any emotion. How could this have happened? His ex fiancé had done this to herself on purpose, and for what?! He stood suddenly, knocking the chair.

"Alec, please understand that I-" Jessi tried to speak before Alec cut her off.

"Understand? You take these fucking pills to purposely push yourself into a miscarriage because you got scared and decided you didn't want a child, and you want me to understand?!" Alec screamed at her.

Lacey began to intervene, gently pulling Alec away from Jessi- afraid that he would strangle her.

"And what's more, you fed Max some bullshit about wanting to give me a family, a life? You lied to her so you could get to me and, for what, a higher rank in terminal city?! Or, no let me guess, you liked someone else and they didn't like you back so you decided to trap me and make me the bad guy."

She looked down and Alec ran his hands through his hair.

Unthinkingly, she blurted out "But Max did it to you all the time!"

And Alec, also not thinking, shouted back "But you aren't Max!"

She looked slightly affronted and then realization dawned on her features. "You love her, don't you? That's why you're making such a big deal out of this. You want done with me so you can go and get her. Well, news flash lover boy, she doesn't want you. If she did, don't you think she would have fought for you? She doesn't love you!" She shouted in desperation, seeing her arrow hit it's mark.

Alec pulled on his leather jacket and schooled his features into his Manticore mask. Coldly and with grim determination, he said "That's a risk I'm willing to take." And he strode out the door without another word, leaving Jessi seething and Lacey with a smile on her face.

Lacey followed Alec out and shut the door tightly, not wanting to listen to Jessi's pathetic excuses any more. Lacey shouted out to him "Hey, Dick! Don't come back without her- Jessi needs a professional Max ass kicking!"

* * *

Max turned, tears streaming down her face, to see someone she never thought she'd see again. Her eyes took in all of his appearance; Black hair, tall, well built, black mask, and green eyes- though not as green as she thought they had been, more hazel now. "Ben. Oh, Ben!" She ran, sobbing, and jumped towards him, reaching out.

He caught her and pulled her into a tight hug. "It's alright, Maxie. I'm here and I'm never letting you go again.It'll just be the two of us, always and forever, I'll make sure of it…"

* * *

A/n- So, what'd you guys think? I realize that the flashback scene was awfully long but it was totally necessary. Also, I know some people are going to be confused about this so here it is: Benji(Ben) and Ben(X5-493) are not the same. Repeat, they are not the same. It is essential that you know this, ok?

Anyway, please review and if you have any guesses about what may happen in future chapters please PM me on here or on myspace but DO NOT post them in reviews because if you happen to be right I don't want the story line ruined so please, out of courtesy for your fellow readers, don't post it in the review.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!

* * *


	4. The Wrong Ben

A/n- Well I wish I was getting more reviews but w/e- I suppose that I'll somehow survive- who needs an arm or leg, right?

Well, anyway, this was extremely difficult to write because of- well, I cant tell you because it would give the story away, but I hope ya'll will appreciate this because it was beyond difficult to write.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter:

Bella1992, Chica De Los Ojos Café, darkaznangel452, mash-sg1angel, and saphirerae !!

IMPORTANT NOTE: There is a song with two singers in this ok?

_Italics are Max_

**Bold is Ben**

_**Italics and Bold are both.**_

**Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel- if I did, why would I waste my time writing fanfics?!**

**Crazy Author Insert: "The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to blame it on."- Robert Bloch**

* * *

**Chapter 4: The Wrong Ben**

Alec rode for several hours before stopping at a rest stop to stretch. Pulling out his phone he began to dial Logan's phone number- he needed to figure out where Max was. "Hey, Loge, I need you to track Max down for me. Well, yes Logan, if I'm calling you for her whereabouts that means I don't know where she's gone." 20 minutes later, Alec had her address.

He got back on his motorcycle and took off, now eager to meet up with Max and have a sit down.

* * *

Max cried happily. "I missed you so much!"

Ben smiled. "I missed you too. I knew you'd keep your promise- you always did."

He leaned down and brought her lips to meet his, ever so gently.

Max leaned into the embrace and smiled gently against his lips when Alec spoke in her mind _"Stay alert, Maxie, things are not what they seem. He's dangerous."_

She jerked backwards and ended the kiss abruptly. "I'm sorry I just…" She trailed off, unsure how to tell him that she was hearing the voice of the man she lov- used to love inside her head.

"I understand. You need time." Ben said as Max smiled uncertainly.

Max held his hands and smiled happily. "So, what's up with you? I mean, you've put the mask back on and have, apparently, been living here all this time, what happened?"

Ben smiled, his hazel eyes glittering. "Well, after the others were killed, I moved into the quarters underground, remember them?" Max nodded and moved her hand impatiently, waiting for him to continue.

"I had no where else to go, and my mask protected me from having people ID me. I made the hidden passages and secret rooms my home. Eventually, people bought the place and were thinking of turning the theater into a Casino. I, having been living here, couldn't have that happen- they'd find the hidden corridors and rooms eventually."

Max nodded as they walked around the theater, hand in hand.

"So, I pulled a "Phantom of the Opera" on them. Crashed the chandelier, put on the black mask and cape and scared the living shit out of them. They got scared the place was haunted and ditched it. Of course, I'd actually come to like the whole Phantom of the Rialto theater thing so, I never took it off."

Max bit her lip and then, unable to stop her self, asked "So, does that mean you sing? Like you used to, I mean."

He cocked his head and said "Tell you what, I'll show you around the place and we'll sing together, just like old times."

She nodded vigorously.

He smirked a little. "What song should we sing? The theme, or Past the Point of No Return?"

She cocked her head, actually considering the question. "The theme first, Point of no return later."

He smiled. "As you wish."

He took her hand and led her into a secret passage way, the candles were lit and made the corridor appear longer than it actually was.

_In sleep he sang to me,_

_In dreams he came._

_That voice which calls to me,_

_And speaks my name._

Max followed him with anticipation.

_And do I dream again?_

_For now I find,_

_The phantom of the Opera is there,_

_Inside my mind._

Ben smiled at her as he lead her through winding corridors and showed her secret rooms, secret stairs, and other secrets that no one knew about.

**Sing once again with me,**

**Our strange duet.**

**My power over you,**

**Grows stronger yet.**

Ben led her gently, making sure her eyes were kept on him at all times, and brought her towards a rather large lake- a draw bridge leading to the other side. Max looked at it in awe. "It's a castle."

Ben wrapped his arms around her, his head on her shoulder, he murmured "It's not complete yet- it's still missing a princess."

**And though you turn from me,**

**To glance behind,**

**The phantom of the Opera is there,**

**Inside your mind**

Max relaxed into his arms, in a daze as they walked across the drawbridge.

_Those who have seen your face,_

_Draw back in fear_

_I am the mask you where_

**It's me they hear**

Max looked at the castle with a rugged gasp. "It's a real castle." Ben spun the lever several times, his eyes on Max, as he closed the drawbridge behind them. "It took me years to build it- though not so long as it would have taken someone else.

_**One spirit and my voice,**_

_**In one combined**_

_**The phantom of the opera is there, **_

_**Inside your/my mind.**_

_**He's there, the phantom of the Opera.**_

**Sing….**

Max let out that last notes, each higher than the last until the song was done. Her heart pounding in her chest, she felt as though she were going to faint. How could he have done all of this?

Ben stroked her cheek with a gloved hand. "We should return Above. You'll need to leave for your meeting with the Concert Master soon."

He took her back above, keeping her entranced and distracted by his rhythmic and tuned humming.

Once in her room, she made him turn around as she pulled her shirt off- changing into something more appropriate. Frowning, she yanked on the zipper at the back of her shirt and found it to be stuck. "Ben? Ben could you come here for a minute?" She turned, holding her top up to realize he was gone.

Giving an exasperated sigh, she walked out of her room and walked into the theater to find him standing in front of the stage, staring at the piano. "Ben?" She called hesitantly.

He turned and looked at her. "Yeah?"

"Could you please fix this zipper? Its stuck and I can't get it undone without ripping the fabric…" She frowned, looking over her shoulder at him.

He smiled rather oddly- it looked almost triumphant.- before returning to her side. "Turn around." He whispered, almost seductively. She did so and he pulled her against him, pulling the zipper up in an agonizingly slow way. He then began to gently massage her shoulders. "You're really tense Max, a little high strung."

He leaned his head down and kissed her shoulder blade gently before moving up her neck and placing a kiss on her barcode. Max was oblivious to the world around her; the sound of the door opening and closing, the sound of the bells chiming as the person walked through the curtain hung at the entrance, and the sound of Alec's strangled gasp as he looked at Max and the stranger kissing her. Max tried to speak, to tell him that this wasn't right "Benji…" but he cut her off by kissing her mouth gently.

* * *

Alec choked and thought he could feel his heart break. He was too late. She had found someone else. The stranger's hazel eyes seem to glow familiarly as they bored into his own. He fled the scene, tears forming in the corner of his eyes. He hadn't gotten very far when he was attacked and dragged into an empty alley. He looked at his attacker in shock. "Zack?!" A fist shot out and Alec's world went dark.

He awoke some time later with a killer head ache. "Ah, you're awake."

He looked up and his eyes widened. "What the fuck is this, the night of the living dead?" He snarled at Lydecker. "We thought you were dead."

Lydecker smiled his oddly triumphant smile. "For all intentions and purposes, to the world I was dead."

Alec rolled his eyes and touched his bloody lip. "Great…" Zack entered followed by someone he didn't know.

Alec stood up and looked pointedly at the stranger. "No, wait, let me guess; you're someone who was supposed to be dead too, right?"

The man nodded slightly. Alec rolled his eyes and dabbed his lip. "Now, anyone want to tell me why G.I. Joe here kidnapped me?"

Lydecker said "We know that Max left to meet up with her childhood sweetheart, Benji and heard that you were coming after her. You really shouldn't have given up so easily; she needs a man who's as stubborn as she is."

Alec snarled. 'Great. I'm getting love advice from the psycho guy that cooked us up in tubes.'

"Yeah, well, she found him and they're together." He tried to walk out but the stranger wouldn't let him.

Lydecker paused in an uncomfortable sigh. "No, she didn't, did she Benji?"

The green-as-grass eyed stranger shook his head, his eyes downcast. "Call me Ben."

Alec frowned. "If you're Ben, then who's Max with?"

Zack swallowed. "She is with Ben. Just not Benji."

Alec gave a pronounced 'huh.' "Well, I'm officially confused."

Zack spoke again, his jaw set. "Apparently Ben, X5-493, was revived when Manticore took him back. He escaped when Max set everyone free."

Alec felt his blood run cold. "So Ben, as in my psychotic death-to-all-worthy-men-for-the-blue-lady twin brother, is with Max and pretending to be Benji?"

Zack looked up. "We think Ben might be after some kind of revenge. Max was the one who killed him, remember."

Alec took a deep breath and tried to control his shaking hands. "So she's with Ben, the wrong Ben, who is only pretending to be Benji so he can get his revenge and kill her and we're standing here, why?"

Zack sat down. "We can't make a move yet. He's got that place fucking booby-trapped. There is a maze compiled of secret rooms and underground caverns. We need to wait until Max lures him into the open before we can make our move."

Alec roared at the thought that Max's life could end very abruptly at any given time and in a blind rage threw a large, metal pipe directly at Ben.

Ben turned and let his back take the hit as the metal bent around the shape of his body before breaking into hundreds of splinters. Alec stopped short and frowned slightly, looking at him appraisingly.

"So, for our current genetics count, we have one human, two X5, and one freakishly strong-not X5? Someone want to explain this to me?"

* * *

A/n- Well that was kind of annoying to write and didn't turn out quite the way I wanted it to be but that's the way it turned out so I guess I'll have to deal with it.

Review please!!

ALSO: Only one person added me on myspace. Im awfully sad about that. Thank you, Bella1992!!


	5. Double Trouble

A/n- Well, I understand that several people were confused about last chapter. I can totally understand the confusion- it confused me when I was writing it! So here's the dealio:

Ben (Benji) is with Zack, Alec, and Lydecker and is freakishly strong but isn't a manticorean project.

Ben(X5-493) is with Max pretending to be Benji so he can get close to her and kill her for revenge since she killed him ((Pollo Loco))- how he is alive will be explained in this chapter.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel- And I hope your lawyers are happy that I actually remembered to post this because I normally forget.**

**Crazy Author Insert: There are no stupid questions, just stupid people.**

**Chapter 5: Double Trouble**

* * *

Alec looked at Ben expectantly.

Ben looked at him with still, peaceful eyes. "I think you would be better at explaining it, Deck."

Alec turned his cold, hazel eyes on Lydecker. "Well, pops, what's the deal?"

Lydecker turned and studied him for a moment. "That's 'Sir', son. I didn't raise you to be disrespectful."

Alec snorted at the word 'raise'. "What, you mean you don't like the fact that I'm refusing to be your puppet?"

Instead of getting angry, as Alec has expected him to, he smiled. "Not at all, Alec, I just wanted to know how much sway Max had over you."

"She doesn't have any sway over me." Alec said, lying through his teeth because he knew that Max had more power over him than Manticore ever did.

Lydecker continued to smile. "Max has a talent for pulling people to her. You'd think she'd drive them away with her violent reactions and sharp tongue but she doesn't. You're protecting her even now, just as you did at Manticore."

Alec kept his features schooled. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Lydecker continued "I know all about what the guards were going to do to her. They had everything all setup. Max had just been released from Psy-Ops and was physically weak and unable to defend her self. They were going to rape her. They had done it to other X5's who were fresh from Psy-Ops. And I know what you did to them,"

Alec clenched his fists as he thought about that day but didn't say anything.

"You, after finding out what they were planning, came to Max's rescue. Her very own 'knight in shining armor'. You entered her cell and helped her regain her strength. Of course, she was very slowly, not quickly enough for her to fight off her attackers. So, you stayed with her. And when the guards came to molest her, they found you there instead. They told you to leave and you refused them- even though, at the time, you had no love for the girl you couldn't and wouldn't allow them to touch her. You sent them packing, saved Max from serious trauma, and got another round of Psy-Ops for your trouble."

Alec swallowed tightly before replying. "Stop changing the conversation, Deck. What's the deal with superman over here?"

Lydecker sighed. "Ben is…special. You may have noticed how we jumped from anomalies, such as your friend Mole, to human counterparts- the X series."

Alec acknowledged that he had noticed the large improvement.

"Well, some time before the X series arrived there were what people called Indigo children. These children were said to be the futuristic leaders of our nations- children with beyond bright minds. Children who were evolved. Scientists regarded them as the human species taking a step forward in evolution again. This was only the beginning. Soon, the beyond bright minds became brilliant with IQ's averaging around 180, and incredible strength and speed- everything that the X series is now."

Lydecker paused. "One year, during a baby-boom, 12 of these super-human children were born- all in sets of twins. It was extraordinary. Before, you were lucky to see one every 100 or so years and 12 of them just pop out of no where. Manticore took it upon them to help evolution along so we spoke to the parents, trying to find one couple who would be willing to part with their child. It wasn't easy. All of the mothers seemed to be particularly intuitive and defensive of their children."

Alec listened with rapt interest.

"Until, after several negotiations and reassurances, we finally found a couple who was willing to not only part with one of their children but both. When we arrived, however, we learned that the father had taken off with one of the children."

Alec looked at Benji, question in his eyes. Benji, seeing the look, gave a very slight nod.

"Benji escaped with his father, Madderson "Moody" Summers, while his brother, Eric, was taken into our custody. Of course, once we had his blood to experiment, the X 5's came. Eric was raised as any of you were- as an X5. He didn't know he was any different than the rest of them- we even sent him on missions. One mission, however, went awry. We recovered his body but his brain was long dead- this is where Ben comes in, because I know that's going to be your next question. Well, we had two top-of-the-line soldiers; one with a dead body, the other with a dead brain. The decision to put two and two together didn't need to be thought about. We rewired the brain waves of Ben's mind into Eric's body. He was going through re-indoctrination when Max set everyone free."

Alec nodded and put his head in his hands. It explained everything; why Max hadn't known that it wasn't Benji. Armed with this knowledge, Alec understood Ben's plan immediately, and how he knew it would work.

Despite this, Alec still felt cold and bitter toward Benji. It didn't matter that the man that was with Max wasn't Benji; the point was that she thought it was. Even if she was saved from his psycho twin's wrath, wouldn't she just go running into Benji's arms? Well, fuck that. Alec stood and his back straightened out in perfect posture, his head held high. He looked Benji straight in the eye. The message was clear 'You want her? You're gonna have to take her from me- and I'm not giving her up without a fight.'

Benji nodded and cracked his neck before looking Alec in the eye, sending a return message. 'Let's save her first. After that, the gloves are coming off.'

Lydecker and Zack stood side by side, watching the silent exchange. Lydecker smiled; proud of Max, in a weird way, because of the power and sway she had over so many men.

Zack shook his head. He, too, had been under Max's spell for the longest time but eventually gave up. Alec wasn't going to give up, and it seemed that Ben had an equal iron will. He had the strangest feeling that one of them probably wouldn't survive the contest for Max's affections. He stood still as they walked out of the door, one after the other, and turned to Lydecker once they were out of hearing range.

"Bet you 50 bucks that Alec wins." Zack said with a smirk, knowing of Alec's steely determination and perseverance.

And Lydecker, knowing of Benji's past with Max and his strong desire of her, said "I'll take that bet. I appreciate cash to checks."

Zack smirked and Lydecker found himself pleased that the C.O. of his best unit was coming around- Max had even come around before him, though that had been more probable than this.

The only matter left to resolve with Alec and Max, once this Ben ordeal was taken care of, was Jessi.

She couldn't be left to her own devices much longer, not with her son at stake.

* * *

A/n- I realize it was an extremely short chapter but I updated twice in one day- I need a break! Next chapter is mostly about Jessi- and why she did what she did.


	6. Payback

A/n- OK. I took my couple-day break and am ready to get back to writing. One last chapter after this one, Epilogue to follow.

Oh, I'm sorry if I haven't responded to everyone's reviews- Normally I'm very good about it but I got lazy- I'll start responding personally again.

In the meantime, Thank you all of my faithful reviewers for the past chapter:

Chica De Los Ojos Café, darkaznangel452, Bella1992, 452max, and spiked reyndrop .

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dark Angel- why do I have to keep saying this? It's totally ruining my stupid, non-realistic dreams of owning it…**

**Crazy Author Insert: **

**CINDY: Max, that's enough. Max. Damn, girl, what's in those pills?  
MAX: Spinach.**

**((FLUSHED- Season 1))**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Payback**

Max stormed after Alec with desperation. 'What the hell was he doing there, anyway?'

She ushered out of the door but he was gone.

She held herself and tried to stop herself from shaking. She turned to go back into the theater but stopped suddenly. Before, she had looked at it as her home- her salvation. But looking at it now, it chilled her to the bone. It was still her home, but it was also full of shadows. Dark, chilling, frightening shadows. The noises around her disappeared as her mind blocked out the voices of the living and the sounds of the city.

In her mind, she heard screaming.

* * *

"_No! No please, let me go!" Max wasn't here when it happened. She had been in Seattle the night her world came crashing down- but here she was, watching the whole thing happen as if she had been standing not two feet from it._

_Beth, a 17 year old run-away, was screaming as the place was flooded by black, marked men. Manticore. She tried to run but they caught her and threw to the ground, laughing._

_She was sobbing. "Please, please let me go! I didn't do anything!"_

_The leader of the group snorted. "Then maybe you should have been a little more careful with who you called your friends, little girl. We gave your leader a chance to turn her in and he didn't- so now it's you who has to pay the price."_

_The children cried as they were surrounded- being herded into a small group._

"_Let them go! They had no part in this!" Moody came, looking forlorn and disheveled, his eyes were red where he had obviously been crying._

_Lydecker entered, his eyes cold and calculating. "Oh, but they did. You see, I knew you were lying to me that day. I could sense her watching me, and I knew that I wouldn't be able to catch her unless I had the perimeter secure, and a lot of leverage. You're kids, her __**family**__, they're my leverage."_

_Max choked as she watched Moody's jaw clench, and his face drain of color. And she knew why. She wasn't there for Moody to barter with, not that he would give her to Lydecker anyway, but the point being that there wasn't any chance at all._

_He looked at his band of kids, his children, devoid of hope. It was over. They were all going to die. He looked at Lydecker again, tired and full of despair. "She's not here."_

_Lydecker looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"_

_Moody looked into his eyes. "She left last night- left a letter that I found on my desk this morning."_

_Lydecker nodded to his men. "Search him." _

_They did so, and none too gently. "Sir," A soldier stepped forward with a letter in hand. _

_Lydecker read over the paper with avid interest. "So, her name is Max. She's going to Seattle after one of the other rogues. Get Sandoval to Seattle A.S.A.P."_

_The soldier saluted and nodded before leaving the room, cell phone in hand._

_Lydecker sighed before looking at the rag-tag group and saying "Kill them all- we don't need any witnesses." _

_Beth shrieked. "Wait, please, I'll come with you!"_

_Lydecker turned, his dark eyes staring at her. "And for what reason would I want to take you?"_

_Beth swallowed and looked out of the corner of her eye at Moody, who was looking at the floor in defeat. "I'm Indigo. My real name is Jessica Wemmick." Lydecker turned to stare at her._

_He nodded and she came to stand beside some soldiers. He looked at the others with a sharp glance and told Beth, Jessica, quietly "You might want to close your eyes."_

_She did so and jumped slightly, crying softly, when she heard the simultaneous gun shots. 'Damn you, Max! Damn you to hell!'_

_Lydecker called over his shoulder "X5-600." A soldier, Zack's twin, came to stand beside him._

_He pulled him away from the group, out of the others hearing range. "Soldier, I'm giving you a new mission. As you know, the X series, X5 in particular, were based off the Indigo children- they have the same capabilities, but are not the same. We have been doing research as of late to try and determine what would happen if an Indigo child, a naturally born super-human, were to breed with an X5. We have been unable to figure out the exact result- which leaves us one option; Experimentation."_

_Lydecker watched the emotions flicker across his face in a flash before they were gone. How he missed X5-599- now that was a real soldier. Loyal to his unit, never disobeyed orders, and never let emotions take control._

_He continued. "We leave to return to Manticore in 7 days; Take Jessica to a hotel and give her this pill," Lydecker held it up and handed it to him. "Make her take it. It has the pheromones of X5 female DNA- Heat in a pill, for lack of a better expression. She'll go into heat and remain so for 5 days- you are to conceive a child with her in that time. Are my orders clear, soldier?"_

_X5-600, who was not at all comfortable with these orders, stood at attention. "Sir, yes, Sir." He saluted and came to stand in front of Jessica. _

_He looked at her sad blue eyes and swallowed slightly. "Let's go, Ms. Wemmick." _

_She nodded, following him out of the building._

_Lydecker motioned for his soldiers to leave. "Go help Sandoval- I'll catch up."_

_As they left, Lydecker pulled Moody's wallet out of his back pocket. Opening it, he shifted through several unnecessary items; Credit cards, license, phone numbers… And then he found what he was looking for- a picture. He looked at the picture and couldn't help but smile. It was of Max, in a cream colored evening gown at a gala of some sort, her hair pulled back into a coif and a beautiful cherry-wood violin at rest in her lap. She was quite beautiful, his daughter. Moody stood beside her, his hand on her shoulder and a proud, fatherly, smile on his face._

_He pocketed the picture and threw the wallet down on the man, pausing a moment to say "Thank you for protecting her- doubtless, she must have cared for you very, very much." And he walked away to rejoin his soldiers._

_Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city, X5-600 and Jessica were checking into the Inn on 2__nd__- one of the most posh hotels in the city. As they checked in, the clerk sniffed at them in disgust. "All of the rooms are full- you'll have to find somewhere else."_

_X5-600 pulled out his wallet and began dishing out the hundreds. "The honeymoon suite, if you wouldn't mind. No mints on the pillow, no room service, and no disturbances." As each request was made, he laid 2 one hundred dollar bills on the counter, enjoying the shock on the snob's face._

"_Of course, sir, right away, sir." He threw him a key and X5-600 motioned Jessica towards the elevator._

"_Sir!" The clerk called out and 600 turned, raising an eyebrow inquiringly._

"_Sir, what name do I put in the registry?"_

_X5-600 cocked his head to the side, as if in deep thought before replying "Alexander __Corvinus." _

_He spelled it out and proceeded following Jessica into the elevator._

_He looked at her through half-lidded eyes, disgusted with what he was about to do. "Here," He held out the pill to her. "You must be tired after everything today- this should help you sleep." _

_She took it and swallowed it, refusing the bottled water he offered her. "Thanks." Her response was short but it was warm and full of gratitude._

_Oh, how he hated himself._

_Upon arriving in their luxury suite, he said "Why don't you take a shower? I have a feeling that hot water isn't an accommodation you're used to having."_

_She nodded gratefully and entered the bathroom, towel in hand._

_He sat on the bed and put his head in his hands- why him? Why couldn't Lydecker have chosen someone he knew would be able to do this without thought or remorse? He didn't need to ask aloud, the answer was obvious. It was a test. He was being tested for loyalty and obedience- probably because of his no-good twin brother 599!_

_He stood suddenly when he heard her leave the bathroom and felt his mouth go dry. She was wearing only a towel, her eyes were dark as she stalked towards him. He couldn't do it. He put his hands up and shook his head 'no', backing up._

"_Ms Wemmick- Jessica-"_

_She had him backed against the bed where he immediately backed up too far and lost balance, falling backwards. She pounced on him and his heart began to pound in his chest, erotically terrified. "Jessica we really shouldn't-"_

_She pinned him down. "Oh, yes, I think we really __**should**__. And, please, call me Jessi." She kissed him full on the mouth and his well kept restraint crumbled as he kissed her back._

* * *

_Three months later, Jessi had been taken into Manticore with open arms- she was put into a unit, the same unit as 600, and was even given a barcode of her own- what's more, she had been pronounced pregnant only a few short weeks prior, with a healthy baby boy- according to the scientists, anyway. She felt welcome and safe in her unit, especially with 600- though their relationship had become purely platonic- friends only, type of deal._

_The reasons she gave 600 were the obvious ones- duty to Manticore, what if they found out, and the list went on- and he believed her. But none of it was true, the reason she refused to be with him – though he had been good to her, and was the father of her child – was because of her love of another; X5-494. _

_600 was kind and thoughtful but not nearly domineering as she wanted- she was an Alpha and thus desired an Alpha for a partner, not a Beta; Even though she had unwittingly mated with one._

_No, she wanted 494. He was everything she dreamt of- Strong, handsome, and most of all- he was in a position of power. He had Manticore wrapped around his pinky finger with his charismatic attitude and perfect solider record. She needed him to help her raise her child because she knew that the child would be doomed to be a Beta without an Alpha father's guidance. It was on that day when she met him in the Mess Hall, that day she saw his smiling and deep hazel eyes, that she decided she was going to have him- no matter what the consequences or what she had to sacrifice._

* * *

_Her son was born and taken away by the scientists to be studied. She yearned for him but said nothing as they took him away. She lost all the weight she had gained and, though she thought of her baby boy often, set her sights on 494 once more. She had gotten him to speak with her often, to confide in her, and when things finally started to look up, when Jessi was so close to having what she wanted, __**they**__ came. Two 09'ers were captured and put into re-indoctrination. Everything continued to progress nicely until X5-452 joined class Alpha._

_As she entered the room, his head had turned, his lips had parted in awe, and he was captivated. Jessi turned to look, to see who this intruder was and could only stare. Max. Max had been recaptured. But this, this was not the Max she had known. The Max she had known was shy, quiet, a goody-goody- for all that she was thief. This new Max was strong, willful, full of spirit and fire and passion._

_She tried to recapture 494's attention before he was lost to her forever but she was about 10 seconds too late- he was gone. His body seemed to __**thrum**__ with excitement as he turned his whole body to stare her down and a look came over his face that Jessi knew all too well- it was the same she had worn when she decided that she was going to have __**him**__. And now, he had decided to have __**her**__. It was over. Jessi had lost again- she had given up her freedom because of Max just to survive, and now she had to give up her would-be lover because Alec no longer held interest in her._

_She had literally cried herself to sleep the night she found out that he had been assigned as her breeding partner- would the world have no mercy on her?_

* * *

Max jolted out of has-been vision, sobbing. She couldn't seem to stop- had no time to comprehend how she saw the things that had taken place, only that she did.

Meanwhile, Ben was outside and his arms circled around her she leaned into him. "Oh, Ben…It was horrible, what they did to her- to Jessi. Why do I keep seeing these things? I want them to stop- I just want them to stop coming to me…"

Ben held her to him and whispered lightly in her ear "Don't worry, 452, soon you won't have to worry about them, or anything else, ever again,"

Max's sobbing came to an end as she sniffled, trying to contemplate what he had just said. She frowned. "452? I never told you what I was or where I came from…You're not Ben!" She tried to struggle but he held her close.

"Oh, but I am, baby sister, just not the Ben you were expecting… It's payback time, Maxie. Don't worry though, I'll be right behind you." She struggled and tried to break free but his hands descended to her shoulders where his fingers struck a pressure point, pushing her into unconsciousness. He picked her up bridal style and walked towards the theater once more, murmuring "It will all be over soon, Maxie. I promise…"

So, what'd everyone think? Please review, I realize there was only subtle hints of M/A in this chapter but it picks up in The Final Battle- next chapter. I hope everuone understood what happened with Jessi and why she is the way she is- All will come to be folded into a pretty, neat, perfect little box at the next update.

REVIEW!!

PREVIEW OF NEXT CHAPTER: THE FINAL BATTLE

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Alec stood on the stage glaring at who he knew to be his twin on the inside. "Ben this has to stop! Just let her go!"

Ben shook his head. "No, no I don't think I will. I have as much a right to her as you, more perhaps. She owes me- she killed me, baby-brother. She owes me her life, her soul," He paused to lay his head on her unconscious shoulder, inhaling her scent. He licked her bar-code slowly, sensously. "And her body."

Zack and Benji stood very still both chilled to the bone at what the sight before them. "Does it make you angry, little brother? Does it make you want to rip the teeth out of my head while I'm still alive? Too many questions, Alec? I know the feeling, trust me when I say killing a few people really helps ease the stress. Of course, there are other ways to relieve stress, aren't there Alec? You were accused of being a tom-cat because you slept around so much- but we know why you do that, even if they dont. You're just as insane as I was, am, you just deal with it a little differently. But in the end," He threw his head back and laughed maniacally. "You and I are one and the same. You have held off your stress and insanity as long as you could but now, you're at the end of your leash. So tell me, brother, does hurt knowing that she came to me? That every time she sees your face, she thinks of me? Tell me, do I make you angry?"

Ben bit Max's earlobe gently and Alec snarled, his whole body shaking.

Ben screamed "Well, do I?!" He gripped Max's chin and forced her to face him as he kissed her fiercely and brutally.

Alec roared inhumanly and charged him.

Lydecker held Zack and Benji back. "What are you doing? We have to help Alec!" Zack snarled out.

Lydecker shook his head. "You can't help him anymore. He's already been driven to insanity. Alec, the Alec you know, is gone for good. We can only wait for one of them to survive." He pulled a gun out of his back pocket and stood alert and ready to fire.

Benji frowned angrily. "What's that for? Alec could win the fight!"

Lydecker shook his head sadly. "At this point, son, it doesn't matter- they both have to die."


	7. The Final Battle

A/n- Well here it is- The finale of this tale. This will be my first officially ended story thus far- I'm a bit sad to see it end but, as the old saying goes, "All good things must come to an end." But, in the words of the ever-wise Herbal, "It's all good, all the time."

SEQUEL!! :D. And it's gonna be good, better and much darker than this one.

After reading all of the reviews, I had several evil little thoughts in my head spinning and weaving webs of lies, deceit, and pure torture… I can happily say that I expect more reviews for the sequel than I did for this.

THIS STORY IS M/A. There are not any other pairings that will be included in this story or sequel. It is Max/Alec all the way- it may seem like it's not, but it is.

**Disclaimer: SCREW YOU!! I've put it in for the last 6 chapters!! I'm not doing it anymore because I defy you!! I OWN DARK ANGEL!! ITS MINE!!**

**((Goes off into maniacal laughing fit))**

………………**.Alec and Max stand side by side, watching her.**

**Max: She's really lost, hasn't she?**

**Alec: Yup.**

**Max: …Shouldn't we do something? Take her to the psych ward at least…**

**Alec: Probably but I really don't feel like getting bitten and kicked again. ((He looks pointedly at her and she ignores him.))**

**(Silence)**

**Alec: …You want to grab a cup of coffee?**

**Max: ((Looks at the crazy, screaming fan-girl and back at Alec)) …Sure.**

* * *

**Chapter 7: The Final Battle**

Ben picked Max up bridal style and carried her back inside, ensuring that she remained unconscious. He had to be prepared for what was to come. His twin brother and company would be here shortly to try and take Max back. Everything was going according to his plan- and to that of his...friend. After Manticore had been torched, and he had gone out into the world once more, he was rescued by someone he didn't know and barely trusted but, regardless, he was in their debt.

So, he did as he asked, even though it pained him to do so, and lured Max into his trap. It had been rather easy, all in all. With the knowledge given to him by his…benefactor, she had fallen into his arms so easily…

He laid her gently on the bed as he took out her special outfit for the Final Battle. It was an old-fashioned dress, a very, very, very old fashioned dress- Late Victorian Era. A corset was fashioned around the mid-section, stretching from her rib-cage to the beginning her pelvic region. The skirt was of black lace, loose and flowing, the train stretching out for a good 3 feet.

He nudged her gently. "Max. Max, wake up." She stirred but batted his hand away in annoyance.

"Five more minutes, Alec…" His mind clouded with anger. Even now, after she had kissed him and spoken with him, she still thought of that freak- his clone, not even good enough to be born.

He snarled, low and rasping, and wrenched her off the bed- she still did not wake.

"Fine- I'll do it myself."

With shaking hands he unbuttoned her blouse and pulled her arm through the sleeve. Jerking awake, Max scooted backwards from him, clutching her blouse.

He held his hands up and tossed her the outfit with cheeky grin. And, for a very brief moment, Max almost thought she recognized the old Ben- from her childhood. But, alas, it was gone as quickly as it had come. She picked up the dress and raised an eyebrow, grimacing delicately, before looking at him with cold eyes.

He raised an eyebrow in return. "If you don't put it on yourself, I could always put it on for you…" He trailed off, watching her big-brown-doe-eyes get large and her pouting lips tighten.

"Turn around." She told him, her voice come out uncertain and the sentence sounding like a question.

He shook his head. "What, and let you hit me over the head or kill me again?" He saw her flinch at his choice of words. "Just change, Maxie. I've seen it all before anyway," Her eyes widened in anger and he realized how that must have sounded- like he'd been spying on her naked or something to that effect.

He mentally shrugged. Oh well. Let her think it, maybe she'll get a move on then.

She turned her back to him as she slipped off her blouse and dress slacks, feeling his eyes watching her from across the room. Her bra slid off easily and she shivered from the cold, eagerly pulling the dress around her slight form. She inhaled sharply as she pulled the corset as tight as she could, to keep her cleavage from falling out, and laced it the front. Everything was taken care of and fit her- except the back. The back had yet to be laced.

She reached around to tie them into bows- not really caring about how it looked- when she felt hands push hers away from the strings. She unconsciously flinched and tried to step away but his arms wrapped around her waist as he pulled her flush against him.

"Hold still," He whispered gently in her ear, making her shiver. "I'll tie them properly."

She felt herself go a little weak in the knees, oh! This was _so_ wrong. She was attracted to him because his was Alec's voice but his body was that of her childhood sweetheart, Benji.

She felt him finish tying the strings and began to abruptly pull away, but he held her to him. "Don't do this Max," His voice was lower than a whisper, rasping pleasantly- just like Alec's. "Don't fight me. You can still come out of this alive and free, Max. Please, stay with me."

His voice was coaxing and hypnotic, clouding her mind.

**((A/n- I edited the following song from P.O.T.O. to fit, so try not to laugh as you read it.))**

_Say you'll share with me one love,_

_One life time._

_Save me from my solitude._

_Say you'll want me with you, here, beside you._

_Anywhere you go, let me go too._

_Maxie, that's all I ask of you._

Max shuddered in his arms, her mind hazy and slow. He tilted her chin up gently, letting his lips capture hers sweetly. Max gave in and let him do as he wished- her mind no longer working properly.

Ben was enjoying the moment- it had been torture watching her get into that dress, and it had been torture for him to lace up the back while fighting the urge to tear the whole damn thing off. He turned her to face him and pulled her close- his control would wear off soon, she would be pushing him off of her any minute.

Max's mind began to clear slightly as she heard him whispering against her lips and, though she couldn't make out what he was saying, she recognized the voice. Alec. All at once her memories flooded her- Alec had come after her, just like in a fairytale, and she was kissing the twin brother of her best childhood friend's body with Alec's twin's mind inside- that was just _bent_. **((Did I confuse any1 there? Lol.))**

Struggling suddenly, she shoved him off of her, her lips swollen and her breathing heavy. She shook her head desperately, trying to clear the hypnosis he had put her under. "No, Ben, no! You're my brother! Family doesn't do that to family."

Ben watched her and stepped forward gracefully, his eyes dark with desire. "Some do- there are several fucked up families out there, Max, you see it in the news everyday where a Mr. Smith gets locked up because he sexually abused his daughter,"

He continued to advance on her, watching as she unconsciously shivered delightfully. He smirked. "And I'm not your brother, Max, and neither was _Zack_, for that matter. If I was your brother, you probably wouldn't have the hots for my twin, now would you?"

He had her backed up against a wall, his arm shot out to keep her trapped there. She decided now might be the time to fight. Her fist shot out but it was caught and moved off to reside pinned against the wall as he pulled her flush against his body again. He kissed her furiously. "Why don't you love me, Max? How am I so different from him?"

She struggled against him but he, in his newer, stronger, Indigo body easily kept her contained. She stopped struggling and he thought that maybe she had finally given in when he felt her body shake, he frowned when she continued shaking and briefly wondered if she was having seizures when he felt something wet fall onto his hand- she was crying, sobbing in actuality.

Upon seeing this, the last unfrozen, remorseful part of his heart beat a little louder and he felt guilty and full of shame for what he had done. The jealous rage was still there but the love he felt for her over-powered his desire for revenge, at least for the moment. He stepped away from her and slowly backed out of the room. "I'll wait outside," He pointed at the make-up and hair accoutrements. "You'd better finish getting ready; our guests will be here soon."

Max's tears stopped and she calmed her breathing, trying to think of a way out of this but the more she thought, the more she realized that there wasn't a way out of this. Even if she did manage to escape, where would that leave the others? And who were the 'guests' anyway? She knew one of them was Alec, to be sure, but who was he with?

She had no time to ponder, instead she began to fix her hair and make-up- if she was going to die, then she was going to look to-die-for.

* * *

Meanwhile, Alec was making his way to the theater- and he was packing; AK-47, a couple grenades, and one huge-ass pump-action shot gun- the son of a bitch _would not_ be getting out of this alive. Zack, Benji, and Lydecker followed him a few feet back- none daring enough to ask Alec if he planned on using any of it without hurting Max.

* * *

Ben walked Max to the top of the scaffold and stood at her side, a gun poking her side none-too gently. Max closed her eyes briefly, wondering if she was going to come out of this alive, before saying "Even if I die, Ben, I want you to know that I'm sorry for what I did to you and that I forgive you."

He listened in silence, barely containing the guilt and sorrow he felt and the minor relief when she said she forgave him. He hung his head slightly, keeping his gun trained on her. "I'm sorry too, Max- I really am…"

They stayed silent, each lost in their own thoughts and 'what if's'. Sensing that their guests were near, Ben apologized once more before pulling a pressure point and rendering her unconscious.

Alec kicked the door open to the theater and recovered just enough common sense to check around each corner for signs of booby-traps or weapons.

He turned around the corner and spotted Max almost immediately- it was hard not to see her. She was in an old-fashioned, flowing, black dress complete with corset and red rose tucking her hair behind her ear. "Max!" He shouted and rushed forward to come to a dead stop. Ben stood on the scaffold, behind Max, with a colt-pistol trained on her head.

Zack and Co. followed him to stand just short of the stage, where Alec was already standing and watching Max.

Alec stood on the stage, glaring at who he knew to be his twin on the inside. "Ben, this has to stop! Just let her go!"

Ben shook his head. "No, no I don't think I will. I have as much a right to her as you, more perhaps. She owes me- she killed me, baby-brother. She owes me her life, her soul," He paused to lay his head on her unconscious shoulder, inhaling her scent. He licked her bar-code slowly, sensuously. "And her body."

Zack and Benji stood very still, both chilled to the bone at the sight before them.

"Does it make you angry, little brother? Does it make you want to rip the teeth out of my head while I'm still alive? Too many questions, Alec? I know the feeling- trust me when I say that killing a few people _really_ helps ease the stress. Of course, there are other ways to relieve stress, aren't there Alec? You were accused of being a tom-cat because you slept with around so much- but we know why you do that, even if they don't. On the inside, you're just as insane as I was, am- you just deal with it a little differently. But in the end," He threw his head back and laughed bitterly. "You and I are one and the same. You've held off your insanity as long as you could but now, you're at the end of your leash. So tell me, little brother, does it hurt knowing that she came to me? That every time she sees your face, she thinks of me? Tell me, do I make you angry?"

He bit Max's earlobe gently, invoking an inhuman snarl from Alec, whose whole body was positively shaking.

Ben screamed. "Well, do I?!" He gripped Max's chin forcefully and kissed her furiously and brutally.

Alec roared, snarling and spitting and wild, and charged Ben with red-rage in his eyes.

Lydecker held Zack and Benji back. "What are you doing? We have to help Alec!" Zack asked, snarling.

Lydecker shook his head. "You can't help him anymore. Ben has driven him to insanity. Alec, the Alec you knew, is gone. We can only wait for one of them to survive." He pulled a gun out of his back pocket and held it alert and ready to fire.

Benji frowned angrily. "What the hell is that for? Alec could win the fight!"

Lydecker shook his head sadly. "At this point, son, it doesn't matter- they both have to die. If they aren't killed, their insanity will spread to others."

Zack turned abruptly. "What do you mean the insanity will spread to the others? Being insane isn't contagious."

Lydecker shook his head. "This isn't your run-of-the-mill insanity, Zack. This insanity was brought on by an alien enzyme injected into your DNA as children- to enhance your metabolism. You see, when we created you, you were born with all of the 'super' traits; speed, strength, intelligence, except the metabolism. Ever wonder why you only saw a few X4's and no X1's, 2's, or 3's? We realized, after the X2's, that your bodies simply couldn't handle the strain of having the 'super' traits- your metabolism couldn't process fast enough."

Lydecker paused for a moment, his eyes on Alec, who had just reached the top of the scaffold and was now fighting hand-to-hand with Ben.

"So, we got a hold of some Indigo children for their blood, seeing as they had 'super' traits and were able to function normally. Their bodies produced said enzyme in mass quantity and it didn't take us long to figure out how to replicate the enzyme. However, there is also a problem with this enzyme- one we discovered when Eric went crazy on his last mission and injured several of his unit members. The brain has to work twice as hard to produce this enzyme so, for lack of a better term, it shorts out."

Zack ducked just in time to avoid getting splattered by a metal pipe that had been ripped from the wall. He remained silent, solemnly contemplating what Lydecker had told him. Alec would have to be stopped- no matter how much Max cared for him. Alec would kill Ben, of that Zack was certain, but he was finding it hard to imagine himself pulling the trigger, or someone else for that matter, on Alec without feeling guilty.

The last time he'd seen Alec, they hadn't been on the best of terms but Zack had liked him well enough- he was easy going, sarcastic, and seemed to have taken up the mantle of being Max's silent guardian. This, this was wrong. In no way, shape, or form should Alec be killed. They could still cure it, couldn't they? They'd managed to cure the seizures, which they thought was impossible, so maybe there was some hope left.

He jumped ever so slightly when he heard a metal clang. Turning towards the battling brothers, he frowned when he realized that they weren't anywhere near metal- they had moved to hand-fighting on the large, wooden stage. He heard the sound again a tried to find the source. There, _up_.

His eyes shot towards the scaffolding where he saw Max sit up and clutching the metal railing, her silver bracelets clanking against the side of the rail. He watched her grip the ledge as she brought herself to stand, overlooking the vicious battle. He watched her eyes widen, and her hand go to her throat. He had never seen anyone so beautiful. No, not again. That ship had already sailed. It was time to focus- the battle was drawing to a close.

Alec was still fresh and going strong, while Ben was beginning to weaken with every blow taken. Snap! Zack's eyes shifted from Max to Alec and Ben in time to see Alec snap Ben's neck, a blood crazed look in his eye. His eyes shifted again when he saw Max stumble down the stair steps. "Alec?"

She stopped a few feet away from him, waiting for a response. Alec turned and smiled at her, cocky and smug. "I'm almost starting to prefer Dick, Max; it seems to have suited me better these past months."

Zack's eyes widened. It almost seemed like Alec wasn't insane, like he wasn't infected. But that was impossible! How could Alec have fought and killed Ben the way he had without shedding tears? Surely even a trained killer would have shown some sort of humanity.

Max smiled ran towards him, arms out and ready for embrace.

Lydecker took aim- he had to kill Alec before he attacked Max or spread the insanity.

Alec saw him take aim out of the corner of his eye and immediately ran to meet Max- Lydecker was ready to shoot her.

Alec wrapped his arms around her and pulled her out of the line of fire, shielding her with his body. He should have known better than to trust Lydecker.

Zack had watched the whole thing unfold, saw Alec shield Max in a protective stance and confirmed his prior reasoning concerning Alec, he turned to tell him so but saw that he was ready to take aim. "Deck, no!" Too late.

A shot rang out as Max screamed. "Alec! Alec, no!" He sank to his knees, Max holding him as he went down. She was sobbing uncontrollably and couldn't stop herself if she wanted to. Lydecker walked slowly towards them, Benji behind him only a few steps.

Max held him to her as if he was her life-line, like she would melt or vanish if he wasn't there. "It's ok, Alec. It's gonna be ok."

He smiled sadly. "I'm sorry….Max. I…should…have…seen…"

Max shook her head. "Don't waste you're strength talking, you're going to need to stay awake while I get you to a hospital, ok?"

Alec shook his head, wincing as he did so. "No, Max. It's…too late. This wound is…too severe. I just…wanted you to know that I…I love you, I'm just sorry…that we didn't have more time to sort this out…"

Max cried softly. "I love you too, Alec."

"Just, look at me Max. If I have to go, I want you to be the last thing I see…" Alec pleaded with her.

She kept eye contact with him as she leaned down and kissed him gently, her tears falling freely.

He rasped slightly and struggled to smile. "I only ever dreamed…didn't think… it…ever happen…told you…I…God's gift to…women."

She gave a weak, watery laugh. "That's my Smart-Alec."

Zack, Ben, and Lydecker watched the scene from afar, giving them the privacy they deserved. Lydecker was stricken. "I thought…I had no idea he wasn't…!"

Zack and Ben nodded slightly, acknowledging that they had thought him just as insane as Lydecker had, though still saddened that the death hadn't been prevented.

Max felt his hand cup her face as he smoothed the tears away. "Don't cry, Max. I'll come back to you some how. I promise."

She clutched his hand and nodded. "You better keep it, asshole."

He chuckled and wound up coughing, his breathing labored. She looked into his eyes and saw everything that she had ever wanted to see; love. She felt his hand slip from her face and she sobbed. She remembered just how green his eyes really were, so beautiful and full of life. She was now watching that life and beauty be extinguished. His hand fell and his eyes, which were once so bright and full of emotion, became empty.

She sobbed into his chest, clutching his shirt.

Lydecker remained behind as Zack and Benji came to stand closer to the stage, trying to get Max away from Alec. Max was forcibly pulled away from Alec as she continued to sob. She wrenched from their grip and fled the theater, where she had once been given sanctuary and peace now was a place of nightmares and bad memories.

Zack and Benji let her go, knowing she needed time and peace.

Lydecker, meanwhile, pulled out his cell phone.

"Sandeman? This is Lydecker… I'm calling in a solid "You owe me". There's a dead X5 I need revived…"

Lydecker paused to listen to him speak. "Yes, I realize this is short notice but it's necessary. What do you want? It's for her that I'm asking you to revive him. I don't know if he is the one, but he's who she has chosen. A meeting with her? Eric, I don't know I that would be the best idea…"

"Yeah, I'll bring Jessi back in too- she played her part well. It's a 50/50 chance Max will agree or tell you to go to hell but I'll tell her none-the-less." Lydecker snapped the phone shut with a click and sighed.

"Just as soon as I find her…"

* * *

'Sometimes it seems like it happened to someone else, like maybe it was a story I heard. But the truth is much harder to face- it wasn't a story, it wasn't a fairytale, and there was no happy ending. After all, how can you have a happy ending when you have no prince?'

Max contemplated on this as she sat atop the Needle, staring out into the sky. She couldn't bring herself to cry anymore, even though she wanted to. For some reason, she had a feeling, as crazy as it sounded, that Alec would still manage to keep his promise.

She heard someone come up behind her and her heart rose, remembering how Alec would always come to sit beside her and keep her company. When she'd asked why he did, he'd always reply "I just don't want you getting all suicidal on me, jumping, and leaving me to deal with T.C."

But it wasn't him, it never would be again. Ben came to sit beside her and shared in the silence for a few minutes. "I'm sorry, about all of this… Lydecker thought that Alec had caught Ben's insanity. By the time we realized that he was just doing what he had to do, not doing it because he got some freaky ass thrill out of it, it was too late to stop him."

Max listened in silence and, when she thought that she had no tears left, the waterworks began again. Slowly, a tear slipped down her left cheek, another on the right followed shortly after.

Ben continued. "But it's not over, Max. Alec can be brought back."

Max snorted. "We don't have a Manticore, Ben. No more miracles."

Benji shook his head. "No, we don't have a Manticore. We do, however, have Chimera."

Max turned to look at him questioningly with hard eyes. "By now, I'm sure you've heard of Sandeman. After he left Manticore, he went into hiding for several years, unable to check in on Manticore, on his creations, without having a near miss with an assassin,"

Max listened with rapt interest.

"After you took Manticore out, he was able to come out of hiding some what. He still had to worry about the Conclave, but they believed him dead so they wouldn't be looking for him too hard. Eventually, he got in with the Canadian government who gave him a grant to continue his research."

Max's mouth twitched downwards in a grimace. "Great. Another Manticore, that's _really_ what I wanted to hear."

Ben shook his head. "No, Max. Manticore _became_ military after Sandeman left, before it was a school for the gifted. You had options. You could take classes that suited your preference or area of skill, ever wonder how your friend Joshua got so good at Art? The military, however, decided that they could use super-soldiers more than master musicians or artists. Anyway, Sandeman set up his new school, Pre-K through College level, called "Chimera". They have a medical facility there, better than Manticore's."

Max frowned slightly, knowing where this was going.

"He's offered to revive Alec, Max. He'll still be Alec when he wakes up-"

Max cut him off. "And what does he want with me? Something tells me he would not have offered to do this without something in exchange…"

Ben acknowledged her statement. "Your right, of course. He does want something. He wants you to go to the school on a year-trial basis. As a teacher."

Max stared at him and, forgetting her pain for a moment, threw her head back in laughter. "A teacher? Is he insane?"

Ben smiled, pleased that Max wasn't balling her eyes out anymore. "That's what Zack said. One year, Max. Alec will be alive and up and around within 2 weeks if you agree."

Max considered it before she spoke slowly, her voice rough. "And do I have his word that I get to go free in one year, and that he's not going to kidnap me and keep me there? And what about Alec? There's no point to my being free if their going to keep Alec there indefinitely. "

"Alec goes free as soon as he can walk and take care of himself. And you will be allowed to go free, if that is your choice, at the end of the year- no strings attached."

Max thought about it, contemplating it. She was terrified of the idea, terrified that Sandeman could keep her there at any chosen time and she would be a sitting duck, terrified that with a snap of his fingers this _school_ would become Manticore. But in her heart of hearts, her decision was already made. The phantom, which had haunted her thoughts and dreams for so long, Manticore, was being cast out for Alec.

She had to face the facts. She loved Alec and would do anything for him, even falling into this little game of Sandeman's. It was probably a trap but Max couldn't bring her self to care. If she wound up becoming X5-452 again to save Alec, then she would do it- and that thought scared her more than anything. All of her life, she had focused on doing anything to stay out of Manticore, and now she was willing to go head-first back in to save him. How the tables do turn.

Swallowing, she replied to Ben steadily. "So, when does the plane leave?"

* * *

TBC in: **Chimera**

Well everyone, that's the end to this. There will be a sequel but I'm not 100 sure when it will come out. This last chapter was around 10 pages. It's my longest chapter in all of my stories. I hope everyone liked this last chapter. Thanks for reading everyone!

I really enjoyed writing this so, I hope someone appreciates my work!

Gotta Blaze!

Word Count: 4,933


End file.
